Deck 23: Neoplastic Disease

Question 1

What type of cancer is small cell lung cancer? What risk factors have been identified for this type of lung cancer?

Answer 1

Lung cancer is classified as the small cell type and the non-small cell type lung cancers. Oat cell lung cancer is the term used for the small cell lung cancers. Approximately fifteen percent of the total lung cancers are belongs to the small cell type lung cancer. These cancers conduce to spread very quickly. Small cell type lung cancers are highly aggressive types of the cancer. Small cell type lung cancers are further classified as follows:
Small cell carcinoma is highly malignant type of the lung cancer. They have the undifferentiated type of neoplasm. Majorly small cell carcinoma affects the lungs only but sometime they may appear in the other sites present within the body like cervix and prostate.
Combined small cell carcinoma is a type of multiphasic cancer of lungs. In these types of the cancers the mixing of the tissues affected with small cell type lung carcinoma and tissue affected with the non-small cell type lung carcinoma takes place.
Mixed small cell or large cell carcinoma is a type of the small cell lung cancer. They are found to be resistant against the chemotherapy as well as the radiation therapy. It is one of the rarest forms of the lung cancer.
Risk factors associated with the small cell lung cancers are as follows:
Genetic: family history of the lung cancer poses the high risk of the small cell lung cancer. Inheritance of the chromosome six from the parents with the history of the lung cancer is also one of the major risk factor for the small cell lung cancers.
Lifestyle: regular exposure to the cigarette smoke either active exposure or the passive one is the severe risk factor contributes to the small cell type lung cancer. Accidental exposure to the carcinogens like asbestos and the radon gas from the uranium particle is also one of the risk factor for the small lung cancer.

Question 2

Carcinogenesis is the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. How could a nutritional factor act as a carcinogen?

Answer 2

Inactive cancer causing genes known as the proto-oncogenes are known to be present in every individual. Various biological agents, physical and chemical factors are found responsible for activating these inactive cancer causing genes results in the induction of the cancer growth. Cancer's etiology depends on the various factors including epigenetic and the genetic changes, life style as well as the uncontrolled cell proliferation.
Nutrition and diet also acts as the modifier of the carcinogenesis. They are unable to initiate the process of the carcinogenesis. Nutritional components including calories, phytochemicals, soy protein, antioxidants and alcohol also influences the genes. It was estimated long way back that approximately thirty five percent of the cancers are associated with the nutrition and the diet.
Modification in the diet and the nutrition has the ability to alter the formation and the development of the cancer. The risk of colon cancer is directly associated with the high intake of the red meant and excess of white meat consumption associated with the risk of the colorectal cancer. Extra calories intake poses the risk of the carcinogenesis. Malnutrition is also one the risk factor for the process of carcinogenesis.

Question 3

Describe the basic mechanisms for radiation and chemotherapy. How do these treatments interfere with cancer cell growth?

Answer 3

Ionizing radiation is used during the process of the radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used for the treatment of the cancer to kill or control the malignant or the cancer causing cells. In radiation therapy the ionizing radiation is used for the destruction of the deoxyribonucleic acid of the cells of the malignant tissue, which causes the cell death of the cancer causing cells.
The ionizing radiation particles moving with very high frequency are used to target the genes and the deoxyribonucleic acid present with in the cell for destruction of their replicating machinery. This results in inhibition of the growth of the cell or death of the cancer causing cells. Radiation therapy is further classified as the particle therapy and the photon therapy. Radiation therapy is considered as one of the important treatment against the cancers.
Chemotherapy is used against the treatment of the cancer. Chemotherapeutic agents are given to patients. Chemotherapeutic agents are the type of anti-cancer drugs only. These agents are cytotoxic in nature, they frequently interferes with the cell division process of the cancerous cells as these cells are really susceptible to the anti-cancerous drugs. Almost all the chemotherapeutic agents are given intravenously.
Dosage of the drug is directly depends upon the stage of the cancer. Cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents inhibit the cell growth or cause the death of the cell by inhibiting the processes like protein synthesis, microtubule function and the deoxyribonucleic acid replication. The major mechanism of action used by the chemotherapeutic agent is directly depends on the cell cycle arrest to inhibit the growth of the cancer cell.

Question 4

In general, how does the growth of a cancer cell differ from that of a normal, healthy cell?

Question 5

What are the common nutritional side effects of each of these treatment methods?

Question 6

Explain the following diagnosis in terms of how a malignancy is classified: Stage II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Question 7

Identify two nutrition problems (P) based on the nutrition assessment and medical history. Next, identify the etiology (E) of each nutrition problem. Finally, identify the signs and symptoms (S) that support the evidence for these nutrition problems.

Question 8

A patient diagnosed with cancer may be treated with one or a combination of the following treatments: chemotherapy, biological therapy, radiation, and/or surgery. Describe the basic mechanism or rationale behind each method used to treat a malignancy.

Question 9

Calculate energy and protein requirements for this patient.

Question 10

How do radiation and chemotherapy affect healthy cells within the body? Which cells are primarily affected? How is this related to the side effects that are often experienced with treatment?

Question 11

Recommend appropriate dietary modifications for his diagnoses based on their etiology.

Question 12

What is the Scored PG-SGA? What are the primary nutrition assessment factors that this tool identifies in cancer patients and those undergoing cancer therapies?

Question 13

Determine nutrition criteria for monitoring and evaluation for each nutrition diagnosis that you identified based on the evidence for the nutrition diagnosis.

Question 14

Name three common nutritional problems that a cancer patient might experience. Identify interventions for each.

Question 15

Identify one complementary and alternative therapy that is commonly used by cancer patients. Explain the indications for this therapy and/or its risks.